Pinterest, Mindfulness, and Making the Most of It.

Written byjoshua becker ·

“Our normal human tendencies are distraction and dissipation. Too often, we begin one task, then get seduced by some other option, and lose our focus.” – Daniel Pinchbeck

Recently, I have become both intrigued and fascinated with Pinterest. Their growth over the past months has been nothing short of extraordinary. The on-line world has been abuzz over its potential and limitless opportunity. Add in the fact that you can’t spend any significant time with a group of women these days without hearing someone talk about it (even offline)… and you’ve got my attention. So over the past few weeks I have been dabbling into the on-line pinboard.

Thanks to an invite from a friend, I created an account – though my wife uses hers more than I use mine. And I have seen the reason for its enormous popularity. As a result, I have completely embraced it as a traffic-driving website by adding images back into my posts and a Pin-It button at the bottom (ummm, hint-hint). It is as legitimate a social networking site as the others (Twitter, Facebook, Google+)… and growing faster than any of them.

The Benefits of Pinterest

Over the past few weeks of exploring the site (and conducting a number of interviews with users), I have seen the wonderful benefits that Pinterest offers. No doubt their recent growth is because of them:

Opportunity to “pin” ideas on a virtual pinboard for later reference. The original idea behind the website is a fabulous one. Stumble across a great idea on-line. Pin it (and organize it) with just a few easy clicks to easily find it later when the need arises.

A filter for the Internet. The Internet is big. As a result, there are tons of helpful articles, recipes, and ideas. But there is also a lot of bad ideas in the exact same space. Taking the time to find the good in the midst of the bad can be a daunting task. Pinterest solves that problem by filtering out the worthless (well, some of it anyway).

Connect people with similar interests. Enjoy cooking desserts? Shooting photography? Designing interiors? Pinterest offers the opportunity to connect with others (even experts) around the world with similar passions.

Opportunity to grow in your craft. Many users of Pinterest have used the website to become better at what they do. No matter what your interest/hobby/profession, you can likely find helpful links to inspire and instruct. Teachers, photographers, cooks, and homemakers are growing in their craft. And make no mistake, that’s a great thing for everyone!

Save money. I have spoken with dozens of women (mostly) concerning their experience on Pinterest. On more than one occasion, it was pointed out to me specifically how an idea found on Pinterest saved them money. These money-saving tips were typically found in Do-It-Yourself remedies, cheap decorative ideas, or recipes that saved money.

Inspiration. Many of the items found on Pinterest can serve as on-line inspiration for its user. Inspirational quotes and photos are commonplace. Great articles that offer hope can be found on Pinterest (I think to think that’s why some of my posts do so well). Some have even taken this aspect to a whole new level by posting items onto a “Goals” pinboard that promises vacations/experiences/purchases as a reward for accomplishing certain self-improving goals in their lives.

Brings the family together. I know of many mothers and daughters that have spent time together completing a craft or new recipe found on Pinterest. This even extends to grown daughters who have moved away from home as the platform naturally creates something they have in common with their mothers.

The Inherent Dangers of Pinterest

But I have also seen some unintended consequences among its users that appear unhealthy. And I wanted to raise the awareness level towards them:

It can be very addictive. This is not new information. Nearly everyone that I spoke to about Pinterest started by saying, “It can be really addictive. Before you know it, you can waste an hour or more just looking at photos and articles.” Obviously, there should be some concern raised over the simple act of wasting time, but the bigger issue centers on the reasons that it becomes so addicting.

It feeds into our natural tendency to compare our lives with others. Images never tell the whole story… they only tell the story we allow them to tell. And many of the images on Pinterest communicate the story of perfect homes, perfect kids, perfect recipes, perfect body shapes, and perfect outfits. These snapshots in time are not truly representative of the entire story… but we still end up comparing our lives to them and wondering what’s wrong with us.

It centers our thoughts into a life of fantasy rather than a life of reality. We see stunning photos of a fireplace next to a jet tub overlooking a snow-covered mountain and we can’t help but dream of that reality. But the moment we center our thoughts on that “dream” life, we rob all the joy out of our existing reality. We lose the capacity to fully appreciate all the blessings that surround us when we begin to dream about what we’re missing instead.

It promotes the pursuit of material possessions. Sometimes intentionally, but mostly unintentionally, Pinterest promotes the pursuit and consumption of material possessions. We see the beautiful photos and desire to own that cute little outfit, perfectly-matched furniture, or one-of-a-kind home decor. Their promises of greater joy in life are pasted all over the screen in front of us. And even if hop on Pinterest for healthy reasons, the subtle messages are unavoidable.

It becomes easy to confuse “pinning” with “doing.” Pinterest offers incredible opportunity to grow in life and skill. The possibilities are endless… maybe too endless. We discover an idea and discern that it would be fun and worthwhile to pursue. But before we get a chance to start, we discover another and then another and then another… And before too long, we’ve spent the entire time bookmarking exciting new projects but haven’t completed (or even started) any of them. We’d be far better served finding one opportunity and pursuing it with focus and energy before moving onto others.

It can become a form of unhelpful clutter that robs us of life. The purpose and the layout of Pinterest promotes clutter in our minds. Rarely is anything looked at in a vaccum. Even when we try to isolate one idea, the other images merely fade into the background (not disappear) still calling for us to come back and browse some more. Clutter (physical or mental) always distracts us from joy in the present moment as it calls our attention elsewhere. And Pinterest makes a living providing it.

How to Make the Most of Pinterest

How then does one make use of the medium without falling prey to its unintended consequences?

1. Everything in moderation. Refuse to allow Pinterest to dominate your life. You control it and use it for your benefit… not the other way around. Set a timer. Or choose a time of day (early in the morning, when the kids are at school, etc) that Pinterest won’t distract you from the most important priorities in life.

2. Be mindful. Journey within. The damaging emotions that we have always struggled with still exist, they have just found a new way to surface. Learn to recognize them. Envy, jealousy, selfishness, and unhealthy comparisons have never brought us joy. When you feel them surfacing on Pinterest, turn it off. Get away. And spend some time promoting gratitude.

3. Have a purpose when logging on. If you want to find a new recipe for Tilapia or a fun, inexpensive dessert for your child’s birthday party, Pinterest is a great place to look. If you want to grow in your craft, Pinterest likely offers a number of helpful articles. But if you have a purpose, stay focused. Don’t fall into the temptation to browse other topics. And use the search option to limit mindless browsing.

4. Follow people who add value. The value of Pinterest (just like every other social networking site) is found in the people you follow. If someone is clogging your stream with unhelpful (or unhealthy) links, don’t hesitate to unfollow.

5. Keep in mind that not every one on Pinterest is pure in heart. Pinterest has grown quickly. People are hanging out there. And wherever people are hanging out, entrepreneurs will use it to make money (always!). You may not think you’re seeing paid advertisements when you log onto Pinterest, but you are. Keep that in mind. Some of the posts are intentionally designed to get your money… be warned.

By all means, embrace Pinterest. Enjoy it. Improve your life through it. But doing so in a mindful manner, will keep you from unintentionally pinning unhealthy habits in your heart while you do.

About Joshua Becker

Writer. Inspiring others to live more by owning less.WSJ Bestselling author of The More of Less.

I like the images too, Faith. Your blog is great as well. It is on my favorite list. The best part that stood out for me in this article is: “It becomes easy to confuse “pinning” with “doing.” ” I believe this is the drawback of all social media sharing tools. People tend to SHARE more than they actually ACT. And we all know that action is what makes all the difference.

I think I may be the only American female NOT on Pinterest. I’m not on it for all of the reasons you posted as negatives. I’ve also found that all that Pinterest offers can be readily found if you just do a Google search (image search can be especially helpful). I’m very interested to see which way Pinterest grows…I’ve already heard moms comment how even the simple holiday of Valentine’s Day may be affected by Pinterest as their children came home with even more “stuff” and more elaborate valentines. I guess time will tell if and how Pinterest will shape mothers…

You are not alone! I don’t really get it; I’ve got plenty of my own crafts and I’ve never really done the “idea boarding” thing. (I’ve also wondered from time to time if I’m the only homemaker who doesn’t scrapbook…)

Pinterest is a neat idea, but right now I don’t have a need for it in my life.

I have found that looking at Pinterest makes me want more physical things that I do not need. I came to the conclusion before even reading this article that it was too easy to create a “fantasy” self and suddenly NEED all these great things and ideas. Now I exclusively look at recipes and do not follow anything having to do with clothing, jewerly, decorating, etc. I definitely have experienced more negative effects toward my minimalist lifestyle than positive by joining Pinterest.

I have been invited over an over to Pinterest, and have been avoiding it at all costs, because of the “virtual clutter” potential it appears to foster. However, I can also see its value (like Facebook can have value when used conscientiously). The last couple years in my life and our home have been all about downsizing and minimalizing. Pinterest seems so counterproductive to that goal. I really appreciated this post. It gives me a way to approach Pinterest, and other sites that are bound to appear that are similar, without letting Pinterest own me. There are some wonderful ideas here, and I will use them as I enter the world of PInterest. Great post!

Thanks Joshua for also pointing out that not only can internet websites such as Pinterest feed into our addictions, but it can also feed into some negative thought processes “Why don’t I look that thin?” or “I wish my house looked that beautiful” etc. While I agree that we can be negatively or positively influenced by the internet, it seems as though many people choose to blame these modes of communication for the “problems” that are arising in our society. I wonder if in reality we might just need to take a deeper look into ourselves and our own tendencies before we start blaming the world around us. The world is probably not going to change its technology, but we as individuals can change, if we want to :-)

I think Pinterest feeds into the idea that we should be organizing instead of decuttering. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen someone post an “organizing solution” that just looks like a bunch of useless items arranged by color or height. I’m also shocked that people have so much stuff!– unnecessary appliances and kitchen gadgets, spools of ribbons in every color, shelves full of old magazines, etc.

I’m also bothered by so many women who have turned Pinterest into a place to post pictures of “ideal” female bodies. I understand workout and meal tips can be helpful, but I don’t appreciate idolizing a woman simply because of how defined her abs are or how perky her butt is. With all the hours it appears people are spending on Pinterest, I can’t help but think they could be spending that time going for a hike, a jog, volunteering, working on schoolwork, etc.

I’m sure I’m not alone in these feelings. Thanks for the great tips, Joshua, especially the one about “having a purpose when logging on.” I’m definitely going to start applying that one!

Did you read PInterests’ Terms of Service? Please be aware of this before pinning your own pictures. Even if you don’t, this might be worth reading. Whenever you pin your pics, you grant Pinterest irrevocable and transferrable rights to them. And so if you pin others’ images, you are violating any copyright laws they have on those images. Just to be informed of what you’re doing!!!

I’m surprised that under negatives you don’t list the fact that Pinterest is basically one gigantic copyright violation. Because they store their images on their own servers, they are essentially stealing each picture that gets pinned. On top of that, it is a huge privacy issue, since as soon as an image is “pinned” any viewing restrictions that might have been in place at the original location is out the window. I can only assume that the copyright violations are being ignored — for now– because it is being viewed by the original owners as free advertising. I suspect at some point that will change.

What do you know? Here I found your blog via Pinterest via via another blog…. ;-)
Great, balanced article and a very good read indeed.
I have found Pinterest to be robbing time, BUT I LOVE having the boards…as it helped me not wanting so much in real life… it’s almost like I got the kick of “shopping” and “decorating” virtually and did not need to do it so much in real life…as it simply satisfied a need I had for doing that !
So, for now – go Pinterest !!

I love Pinterest. I love to cook, so have found lots of recipes to try or have tried already. I have a childcare/preschool and have set up boards to organinze tons of curriculum ideas and blogs. Just like anything, it’s all in moderation.

I love it too and I have found alot of recipes, educational ideas to do with my 2 year old granddaughter, crafting, etc. It’s like anything you have to use in moderation-but I’m a visual person and enjoy organizing in this visual way!

I feel that the negatives outweigh the benefits regarding Pinterest. Most of the benefits listed can be achieved without using Pinterest – and probably in more depth.

Here’s my biggest objection – When you’re on Pinterest – or any social media network for that matter – you’re not doing something else. That is what is called an ‘opportunity cost’. It is what you give up in order to be engaged in whatever you are doing at the moment. So when I spend time looking at somebody else’s ideas I am not:

1.) Working
2.) Preparing a lesson for my class
3.) Paying attention to my husband or family
4.) Making art
5.) Clearing out that closet that has been driving me crazy, etc., etc., etc…..

I don’t know about everybody else, but the time that I would be able to spend on Pinterest or texting or Facebook is the time that I should be doing one of the above activities. I guess if you have a few hours a day where there are no other demands at your time, have at it.

I just was “invited” to set up but then decided against it when I started reading articles regarding copyright violations. People are pinning people’s work without permission and Pinterest is profiting from it by people coming to their site rather than the original artist’s site. This is the most recent article posted online yesterday. I wouldn’t want someone pinning my work and someone else profiting from it no more than I would want to do that to someone else. In the terms of use of Pinterest you are to get permission but how many people are actually doing that?!http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/250700/what_you_should_know_about_pinterest_and_copyright.html

Your reflective ability on such a current topic is impressive. I have gotten into pining too and have to resist it’s seductiveness. I find looking at images very relaxing. On the positive side I have connected with some great art sites and have been spending time looking at and reflecting on art that I would not have gotten a chance to see. I will share your post, excellent, thanks.

I wanted to see a friend’s pinterest boards thru facebook, so I “joined” and suddenly, all my connections were invited to see my boards… and many began following me! I have nothing to show, not knowing how to use it. In that respect, it is disappointing. Plus, other apps thru facebook, like wordswithfriends (scrabble) invade space on facebook with trivial move by move postings. It’s nice to connect with friends and play a stimulating word game, but must turn 99% of the rest of your other “friends” away. I find the most updates on fb are from blogs, not individuals.

Interesting. I haven’t been there long and had no idea they were making users claim oiehrsnwp in pinned images. I can’t imagine that would hold up, since the point of the site is to grab images from around the web. I have posted my own work there from my blog, but I do put my website on the image first, as I do whenever I put any image online that I care about. I’m hoping people will repin my work, therefore spreading my blog link plus my website link. All pins link to the original image, so it’s promotion for that artist. Right? Honestly, if you put up images without branding them first, you can’t possibly keep people from using them. Artists should be aware of that and take precautions.

Wow, what a coincidence – I just received a Pinterest invitation the same day as this post. I had been interested in signing up, but hadn’t realized that it was only letting me sign up through Facebook or Twitter, neither of which am I a part of. I’m taking that as a sign, I will be passing up Pinterest as well.

While it is great that you added a Pin button to your posts … aren’t your photos from iStock? Not cited as being from there, your photo goes viral on Pinterest, and now people are attributing you with the work instead of the photographer.

Something you would never want to have happen with your well crafted words. (I love reading your posts and subscribe to them via email so I don’t miss them!)

Just something to think about. As a photographer, this is a HUGE issue for me. I want to see pins go to their original sources, and the credit for the photos to go where it belongs as well whenever possible.

(And if you took that photograph yourself, my apologies. Since the file name is iStock, I assumed it was from there.)

I am on Pinterest, for various reasons, but I do get quite aggravated when people do not properly give credit. I admit I am not perfect about it either, but do my best when pinning that it comes from the original source. Many times, when I want to repin something or share it via a post, I will spend quite a bit of time searching for the original poster. Of course that becomes a time suck, so I have to weigh it out, but I would like the original pinner to credit properly.
And I agree that there are some serious copyright issues going on. I hope that they can solved without destroying what Pinterest is!

Hey Christine, I was about to send you an e-mail on this comment… but decided to post it here instead and make the conversation a bit more public. The photo is from Istock and your comment has sent me down a road of research, but maybe just asking the question of you would be more helpful.

On one level, I’m hoping that the copyright concerns don’t dominate the comment section here… that’s not where I was intending this post to end up. But on another level, maybe there is helpful information that others can use as well.

When I purchase an image from Istock, I pay money for the right to post the image on my website – this money then finds its way into Istock pockets and the photographers pockets at a predetermined level of sharing. That’s not a problem.

The issue becomes when somebody else takes that image and “repins” it to Pinterest. The “Pinner” or Pinterest stands in copyright violation for housing that full-size image on its server, rather than just a thumbnail of it. The violation is on the part of Pinterest and/or “the Pinner,” not me correct? That is the assumption that I have been working under. And is certainly an unresolved issue (with not just Pinterest, by the way) that will need to be settled by people far more trained in law than myself.

But for me, I am wrestling with the next logical question that must be asked of me (the blogger), “If I post a purchased image on my blog just so that it would get pinned on Pinterest (as noted in the post)… am I not partly at fault as well?

You know, it is a slippery road. One I hadn’t even thought about before I read your post, where you said you had added a pin button hoping people would use it. Of course, to pin, there needs to be a photo – something visual.

And from there, it gets all crazy.

I think it is something we will see get sorted out over the next few months. As a photographer, I welcome whole-heartedly people to pin my work, but I want it to link back to me, not a Tumblr blog. (I watermark everything for a reason.)

Could you watermark a small “Courtesy of iStockPhoto” in the corner of the images you use? So credit stays with the image?

It is an interesting conversation – thanks for responding here (and via email) and if I think of anything more, I’ll be sure to share!

I thoroughly enjoyed this post!!! I have a pinterest account, but have done nothing with it…you clearly outlined why! Thanks for the reminders about what is important to me and where I want to spend my time.

It is cool that the first thing I found to be of interest on Pinterest was your blog! I pinned it to my board which remains very uncluttered and clean as a testimony to minimalism. I am really enjoying downsizing my clutter by selling items on Ebay. I only post things on Pinterest that I feel convey a simple life. :)

I couldn’t agree more with the few comments I read. To be honest I’m disappointed that it’s even mentioned. I’m looking for ways to encourage my new lifestyle, and not to sabotage it. I won’t even do facebook because of the time it takes away. I’m trying to free up more time. Sorry, but it’s how I feel. Could say more but I won’t.

Thanks Dee Dee. I’m of the belief that few things are inherently evil – most things are healthy or unhealthy based on how we make use of them. I have found great value in both Twitter and Facebook – and while some would argue that it is not possible, I would argue that it’s just a matter of how you choose to use the platform. Pinterest holds the same potential.

Joshua, I agree. We are all at different stages of adopting our new lifestyle of simplicity, and that means something different for everyone. Some people find no place for Facebook or Pinterest or other similar things, while other people do find these things to be of value when used appropriately and in moderation. Because of the growing popularity of Pinterest, and it’s inherent characteristic of having great addictive potential, I found this post to be both timely and extremely useful. This is true for me, as I have shied away from learning about Pinterest, but can see how it would be useful in my life, if kept reined in. This offered great suggestions on doing just that. Thanks for a great post.

Joshua,
I was very late jumping on the Pinterest bandwagon, even though I had been hearing and seeing a lot from it. As a blogger myself, I kept seeing traffic being sent to me via Pinterest where someone else had pinned my posts. After this continued for several weeks, I decided if it was sending traffic I needed to understand how it works.
And so I jumped in with both feet :) And I actually get quite a bit of traffic to my sites from it.
I am very careful how much time I spend on it, and will go several days at a time without even visiting Pinterest. I use it to gather thoughts and ideas for my blog posts, as well as my inspirational facebook posts.
I also use it to share photography ideas with my young adult daughter who is building her photography business, as inspiration for poses and props. She is also expecting her first baby and lives in another city, so we are able to share ideas about baby products, etc.
I have another daughter who is a great cook, and mom of 6, and we love to share recipe ideas on Pinterest.
For all of these scenarios, I know we could still share via email, etc, but having it in one place makes it much nicer, plus I am a visual person who loves to “see” the pictures on the boards.
I think, just like any other thing in our life that can take time from our lives, we have to search ourselves and our priorities to make sure we are living by what is important to us.
Thanks for sharing this list of positives AND negatives with us!

I’ve been on Pinterest almost as long as there’s been Pinterest, and I completely agree with every single thing you’ve said. In the first weeks of my pinning, I spent hour after hour after hour pinning. (Ironically, the same thing that happened when I first got on Tiwtter, and when I first got on Facebook…) I quickly realized that I needed to set a timer and stick to it. Once I was able to do that, pinning became easily controllable.

I use Pinterest most for homeschool ideas and lessons and home organization ideas; it has enhanced my “real life” a lot.

Having said that, I do think it distracts a lot of people (just like all social media) from their real lives, and they don’t even realize it. Anyway, thanks for a great and balanced post.

I have a mobile phone that only makes calls and texts. I don’t have a Facebook account and I have only just learnt about Pinterest last week. I get a sore back sitting at the computer for too long so I choose my time on it very carefully. I just find that I have so much else to do – like visit your blog which serves a direct purpose of keeping my minimalism front and centre! I have rid myself of all my fantasy selves and now know how I like to spend my time and if I need anything, google or my local library have always helped out admirably. I’m not against these things I just haven’t needed them.

I appreciate the critical view you take of things like Pinterest–it helps me to evaluate my own use of things like social media in a more objective way. Unlike Pinterest, your blog is a place where I know I can find something worthwhile to read that is in line with my own values about consumption, materialism, etc.!

You admonition to be mindful resonates with me. It has nothing to do with Pinterest, but I found my former career as a musician promoted envy, jealously, pride, and comparing myself to others. It was not emotionally healthy for me, and I quit. It ranks right up there with the best decisions I ever made.

I’m not joining in Pinterest simply because I’ve got enough going on with Facebook, blogging and Catster. I’ve scaled back on these sites considerably since deciding to cut back on my time with the Internet. It’s too easy to get sucked in and spend hours, albeit hours of enjoyment, and I have wonderful real life interests to spend time with. My cats and dog appreciate my movement within the house instead of sitting on my exercise ball in front of my laptop. My friends and family love having me stop by or meet them in a place of mutual interest. I’m spending more time outdoors with my dog and/or friends. After taking a good hard look at my possessions, I have gone through my house and donated or thrown out a lot of things that I don’t need or even really want anymore. I find my mind refreshed more often by spending less time with the computer and since I don’t watch TV at home, I’m enjoying a good book cuddled up with my kitties around me and the dog at my feet more often. With the spring season coming on, I will naturally spend even more time outdoors and I expect to be “missed” by some of my old Internet haunts, but that’s ok. It works for me.

Hi Joshua
Thanks so much for this post. Lots to think about here. I am not part of Pinterest as yet. I also have concerns about the copyright issues. There has been a lot written about that side of things lately but I haven’t quite got my head around it all yet. I did go into Pinterest to have a look recently though and totally agree that you would have to watch yourself time wise. Like all social media, usage needs to be monitored and kept under control.
Again thanks for this post. Comments have been an interesting read as well.
Cheers
Thea

I use Pinterest as a resource for many of the things I want to learn to do, just like I would use a library. Sure, you can Google many of the things that are there, but I find i waste a lot of time sifting through all the sites that come up on a Google search before I find something useful. A lot of times, a picture is worth a thousand words, and a saves a lot of reading time. The other great thing is that I store the information electronically in a way I can easily retrieve it. This has saved me money by not having to go out to buy books to get ideas. Saves me time by not having to take notes or make copies, and makes it easy to retrieve information. I love the upcycling ideas! Pinterest as a Tool is wonderful. I think Pinterest as a hobby, however, likely leads to the problems everyone has mentioned…

I use Pinterest for making lists of things I ‘think’ I want. That Lowry print for example..
I give it a month, then go back to my ‘wants’ board and see if I really do still want it or is it was a passing phase.

There has not been anything I’ve pinned that I’ve gone on to buy. Chuffed with that :D